Secret identities. Nazi Collaborators. Conmen.
Noni Hazlehurst uncovers gripping family secrets in new SBS documentary series
In this new SBS documentary series Every Family has a Secret, six Australians discover the truth about their family’s past, confronting the secrets that have shaped them. Dark pasts, lies and half-truths are revealed, and lives are changed forever. Whether it is the ill deeds of parents or revelations of unexpected family members, Every Family has a Secret shocks, surprises and delights.
Over three weeks, much loved and celebrated actor Noni Hazlehurst will meet six Australians who are grappling with a family secret. Participants will travel around the world uncovering powerful truths about themselves, their families and Australia.
SBS Director of TV and Online Content Marshall Heald said: “Every Family has a Secret” explores the family relationships and secrets that divide a household, introducing us to a diverse group of Australians who are seeking closure on their past. The series is full of shocks and surprises, but it’s also heartfelt and heart-warming. Noni Hazlehurst is one of Australia’s most iconic personalities, and in her role as presenter she brings her trademark elegance and warmth to the show. We are thrilled to be bringing this series to our audiences.”
From Taiwan to Romania and beyond, these six Australians will discover the truth behind a gripping family secret.
Australian actor David Field searches for his real dad after a death bed confession by his grandfather more than 25 years ago raised questions over his paternity.
Adopted as an infant, Perth woman Marie-Anne goes in search of her biological father after a terrible tragedy prevents her from meeting her mother.
Angela Hamilton was raised in a household of extreme violence; her father regularly beat her mother and her siblings. A rabid anti-Semite, her father arrived in Australia from Hungary after World War II and Angela suspects he may have collaborated with Nazis.
Li Ying Andrews doesn’t even know her birth name. Raised in a Taiwanese acrobatic troupe as a toddler, she has no idea if any of her family is still alive. Li and her daughter Olivia travel through the backstreets of Taiwan in search of her true history.
Businessman Lance Innes grew up without his father, a scoundrel who went by numerous names and abandoned wives and children around the world. He was also known to the FBI, but was he a spy or just a conman?
Journalist Michelle White uncovers the crime her mother kept secret which saw her jailed in one of Australia’s toughest prisons.
The series also features renowned international experts such as the world’s leading Nazi-hunter Dr Efraim Zuroff, and showcases never before seen documents from Romanian Secret Police, the FBI and ASIO as hidden pasts comes to light.
Intimate secrets are unearthed, estranged family members are reunited and lives are forever changed in this emotional and confronting new series. This three-part series is produced by Artemis Media for SBS, with funding from Screen Australia and Screenwest.
Every Family has a Secret premieres at 7.30pm Tuesday 25 June, and will air over three weeks.
I watched this program and found it absolutely fascinating…somewhat sad at times of course for those involved. It is great storytelling and television. Thanks Nonie and SBS (and the participants) for a fantastic insight into personal history.